- US Embassy cites reports saying extremists plan to attack gatherings
The British and US embassies in Russia say “extremists” have imminent plans to attack “large gatherings” in Moscow, and warned citizens to avoid events over the next two days.
The alerts cover a 48-hour period that includes festivities related to International Women’s Day, a major holiday in Russia. In connection with the celebration, several concerts will be held in the capital.
It was unclear which “extremists” were believed to be planning an attack, but people have been told to avoid crowds, monitor local media updates and be aware of their surroundings.
The US embassy said: “The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to attack large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts, and US citizens should be warned to avoid large gatherings for the next 48 hours.”
The initial warning to American citizens came from the US embassy, and the British embassy later issued the same alert.
There were no similar warnings from Russian state agencies.
Law enforcement officers stand guard as people walk to Red Square to attend events marking the annexation of Ukraine’s Russian-controlled territories, September 30, 2022.
A large crowd of people gathers on Red Square in Moscow on September 30, 2022.
Russian independent media Important Stories reported: ‘Diplomats assess the probability of terrorist attacks as imminent, that is, they trust the reliability of this information.
“For comparison, in mid-February 2022, the US embassy assessed the Russian invasion of Ukraine as ‘could be imminent.'”
American intelligence accurately predicted the start of the war two years ago, even as the Russians and many experts denied it.
US Ambassador Lynne M. Tracy’s warning, echoed by British envoy Nigel Casey, was interpreted by Putin’s prominent propagandist Margarita Simonyan, head of the RT media empire, as a warning of “terrorist attacks.”
“The US and British embassies warned about the threat of terrorist attacks on March 8 in Moscow,” he said.
The anti-Western Simonyan urged the embassies: ‘If you have specific information, you should transmit it through the intelligence services.
‘I hope you did. And if not, then this is complicity.”
Pro-Putin Telegram channel Zhukov Z said: “All this sounds like a threat, because all terrorist attacks in Russia are directly or indirectly related to the activities of the CIA and its henchmen.”
The US and UK embassies in Moscow have warned that extremists are planning to attack large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts, in the near future.
Cars pass by the US embassy building in Moscow on March 7, 2024.
Another pro-war channel, Wargonzo, said: ‘The message was published only on the English version of the (US) site the day before.
‘It read ambiguously and many media outlets interpreted it as a warning about the threat of terrorist attacks.
“It’s not really clear who the US embassy is warning about, the patriotic Russians or their defendants: the Ukrainian saboteurs.”
Independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe said: “Events dedicated to International Women’s Day are scheduled in Moscow today.
“Singer SHAMAN will perform at the Crocus City Hall and a big concert will also take place at the Russia exhibition at VDNKh.”
